Spyderco Forums

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 4:09 pm

Lol. California logic: It's not the size of the blade or how fast you can open it, it's the WAY you open a knife that makes it dangerous.

Consider that there is no appreciable difference in the time it takes to open knives by these methods. Dare I say some of the legal methods like waves are even faster than Auto's and Balisongs.

Wave open = safe
Spydie flick = safe
Thumb open a Spyderhole = safe
Thumb open thumb stud = safe
Push a flipper tab = safe
Push open a spring assisted blade = safe
Push a button = DANGER
Swing open a balisong = DANGER
Use Gravity = DANGER

Alas no Illegal Dangerous Smallfly for me, I'll have to carry the Safe Legal Police 4 instead :rolleyes:

I know first hand that Germany declared Balisongs and OTFs illegal not because they think these can be deployed faster than other knives (although probably this is true, at least to a certain extend) but because you cannot see any part of the blade when they're closed, thus a muggle (non-knife person) cannot identify them as knife when they are drawn from a pocket but not yet deployed. I'd say that >95% of the folding knives show the blade's spine. Most people will be able to identify those as knives, for whatever that's good. The <5% of folding knives that are no Balisongs or OTFs that show no blade spine when closed (e.g. Stilettos) are quasi-illegal in Germany too, means if for any reason authorities search your home and find such a knife, you're facing the same charges as for possession of an illegal weapon.

One-handed openers with a locking blade (except Balisongs and OTFs) can be owned/collected but not carried in public.

Automatics are a special case. Those show some blade spine (at least all I know - there may be some that don't, but it does not matter really) are illegal as soon as their blade length is 8,5cm or longer - because automatics in fact are considered "fast deployers" and leave other people next to no time to identify them when drawn from a pocket. An automatic knife that has a blade <8,5cm is equally fast, but because of its size considered as no attack weapon.

I know this because I had a phone call at length with a legal expert from a German authority when I tried to exploit ways to import an Autonomy that was shortened to comply with German laws. I cannot guarantee this, it's just what I was told. Haven't yet had time to type it all down for you. Although this all is true just for Germany, it might be the background for other countries/states etc.

Thx for the information

Thats interesting. I don't know that I agree with the idea that autos are more easily concealed. But there are laws in California against disguised knives. Cant have a knife that looks like something else.

Someone, somewhere, actually had to have dealt with a situation involving a disguised knife to have enacted that law. I'd like to hear that one sometime. It's crazy some of the things on the books.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

bearrowland wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 7:39 am

Someone, somewhere, actually had to have dealt with a situation involving a disguised knife to have enacted that law. I'd like to hear that one sometime. It's crazy some of the things on the books.

The only knives like that I know of are the cheapo gas station one that look like a key or even a shotgun shell. I love thinking about how some of the goofy laws came to be like in Atlanta your not allowed to tie your giraffe to a telephone pole. I can just picture that poor giraffe getting electrocuted. Hopefully it survived but ya never know.

bearrowland wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 7:39 am

Someone, somewhere, actually had to have dealt with a situation involving a disguised knife to have enacted that law. I'd like to hear that one sometime. It's crazy some of the things on the books.

They probably saw it in a movie, so it had to be real, right?

Exactly!

I agree Josh.

Joshcrutchley1 wrote: ↑

Sat May 22, 2021 4:28 pm

bearrowland wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 7:39 am

Someone, somewhere, actually had to have dealt with a situation involving a disguised knife to have enacted that law. I'd like to hear that one sometime. It's crazy some of the things on the books.

The only knives like that I know of are the cheapo gas station one that look like a key or even a shotgun shell. I love thinking about how some of the goofy laws came to be like in Atlanta your not allowed to tie your giraffe to a telephone pole. I can just picture that poor giraffe getting electrocuted. Hopefully it survived but ya never know.

Knife laws, by and large, usually don't make any logical sense. As with most things of this nature, someone's emotions are what made the law.

It seems like Germany could allow those knives and just require something like a cigarette pack warning label. In this case, it could be a legal requirement that the knife be labelled 'KNIFE' in large, bright letters, or something like that.